Malang, May 30th, 2024 – Ita Fitriyah (46), a batik craftsman from Malang Regency, has successfully elevated Batik Lintang to become one of the region’s leading SMEs. Starting from her interest in batik while involved in batik production at Universitas Ma Chung in 2013, Ita has now developed Batik Lintang products with various unique patterns, one of which is the Tlogosari tree pattern that has become the icon of her village.

Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering from the Institut Teknologi Nasional Malang (ITN Malang), she initially learned batik for personal needs before introducing written batik to her neighbours. In addition to producing batik, Ita actively conducts batik classes for children during holidays. “Batik Lintang started to gain recognition by organizing workshops and participating in exhibitions held by the Dinas Perindustrian,” Ita explained.

Ita’s journey in developing Batik Lintang was not always smooth. The first challenge she faced was human resources. “It requires special skills, so when people want to join, they need to be trained first,” she said. She had to group her workers based on their respective skills to speed up production. Another challenge she faced was capital. “I started everything from scratch, from having just one canting, two meters of fabric, and minimal dyeing, to now growing,” she stated.

Despite facing various obstacles, Ita remained persistent in her principle of not giving up. In 2016, her batik gallery was robbed three times, resulting in significant losses and forcing her to close the gallery for a year and a half. However, Ita rose again when she received new orders, even though she had to borrow money from the bank. “Although the journey is winding, consistent effort will get results,” she emphasized.

Besides producing batik, Ita is also a batik assessor at the Badan Nasional Sertifikasi Profesi (BNSP), ensuring that the knowledge she shares meets certification standards. This adds value to Batik Lintang in terms of quality and consumer trust.

The success of Batik Lintang is also evident from various achievements in exhibitions and competitions. Batik Lintang frequently participates in events organized by the government. During the 1258th anniversary of Malang Regency, Batik Lintang won third place with its Arjuna and Semar motif, highlighting wayang characters.

Ita feels proud to have met important figures such as Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani, and the Deputy Minister on various occasions. “Batik Lintang also contributed to provincial-level competitions, enhancing Malang Regency’s reputation with its Garudeya icon,” she said.

Ita also offers valuable advice to young entrepreneurs and housewives who want to start a business. “Believe in the effort you are making, small problems will not be an obstacle if you believe. Consistency and innovation are crucial, as well as listening to customer complaints to keep developing,” she advised.

She hopes that in the future, Batik Lintang will have better facilities and infrastructure, as well as an increasing number of workers to support production. “If everything is well-organized, the products will follow,” she hoped.